Degreasing equipment



Jan. 23, 1951 J. M. BASH 2,539,112

DEGREASING EQUIPMENT Filed Sept. 6, 1946 s Sheets-Sheet 1 r INVENTOR.

Jofizz Mjasfi/ BY I , Y aw Jan. 23, 1951 J. M; BASH DEGREASINGEQUIPMENT 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 6, 1946 Jan. 23, 1951 J. M. BASH DEGREASING EQUIPMENT 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 6, 1946 Patented Jan. 23, 1951 uumao STATES PATENT orrlce DEGREASIfS EzZUIPMENT This invention relates to improvements in degreasing equipment, and one of its objects is to provide,in a compact unit, a degreaser which operates continuously to convey batches of parts to be degreased through a degreasing cycle and back to the starting point, after degreasing, so that one man can load and unload the machine without moving from a given position, while at the same time several batches of parts are progressing through the degreasing cycle.

Another object is to provide at low cost a continuous type degreaser wherein the movement of the parts conveyor is automatically started and stopped periodically, as it proceeds through each cycle the duration of the stop periods being adjustable by the operator so as to allow enough time during each cycle for the degreased parts to drain thoroughly without slowing the machine down any more than necessary.

In carrying out my invention I mount within a degreasin chamber a continuous conveyor, preferably in the form of a rotor, on which are supported, at uniformly spaced points, a number of receptacles adapted to hold parts which are to be degreased. An atmosphere of vaporous degreasing solvent, such as vaporous tetrachloroethylene, is continuously maintained within the lower part of the chamber so that the several receptacles pass consecutively through the vapor as they move through each cycle of operation. But the upper part of the chamber through which the receptacles pass after leaving the vapor-containing lower portion contain an atmosphere of air having a lower temperature than that of the vapor below, wherefore the vaporous cleaning solvent picked up by the receptacles and the parts contained therein is condensed to liquid form. The-liquid solvent condensate drains from the parts as the receptacle moves through the upper part of the chamber and carries with it the dis,- solved grease and dirt from the processed parts; but a certain amount of time is required for the parts to drain thoroughly and this will vary with variations in the nature of p the parts being treated. This means that it is necessary to be able to increase and decrease the duration of draining time if maximum output is to be achieved under all circumstances and thorough drainingis to be accomplished when the parts are of such character that more than a minimum drainin period is required. For that reason I provide means for varying the duration of the cycle-thus varying the draining time. This can be done by driving the conveyor continuously although at variable speed; but it is very desir- 4 Claims. (Cl. 202-470) able to have the conveyor stop as each receptacle returns to the startin point so that the operator can conveniently remove from the conveyor the receptacles containing degreased parts and replace them with other receptacle containing parts to be degreased.

A preferred embodiment of this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a degreaser:

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken at 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken at ll of Fig. 1: and

Fig, 5 is a schematic diagram of circuit connections.

Referring first to Figs. 1-3 inclusive, the degreaser illustrated comprises a housing It made principally of sheet metal. Said housing may be of generally rectangular form, save as shown, and preferably is provided with an opening ll through which the degreaser is loaded and unloaded. A door I! which may be hinged at the top, as shown, serves as a closure for opening Ii when the degreaser is not in use. A vent l3 at the top of the housing may be connected through a suitable conduit to the outside of the building or the machine may'instead be placed under a ventilating hood which will serve to carry away efiluent odorous vapors which are lighter than air. In order to render the machine more easily portable from place to place within the shop it may be mounted on casters M.

The lower portion of the interior of housing It is divided into two compartments l5 and It by a dividing wall I! which extends a few inches up from the bottom.

Compartment I5 is a sump for contaminated liquid solvent-which is to say solvent containing oil and dirt from degreased parts; and compartment i6 is a sump for clean liquid solvent. The solvent employed may be trichloroethylene or tetrachloroethylene or, in any event, should be one having a vapor density greater than unity when compared to air at the same pressure.

Disposed within the housing in heat transfer relation to sump l5 are several electric heater units l9 which serve to heat the liquid solvent therein to such an extent as to maintain above the liquid a body of vaporous solvent. But inasmuch as this vapor has a density greater than unity it will not disseminate through the air but will rise to some convenient prescribed level such as that indicated bythe broken line 20, provided the temperature of the liquid solvent is suitably whenever the level of the solvent therein rises above thelto of-saidiwall. solventlimit:

clean, since it does not contact the parts recep tacles or the parts therein, and will flow down' condenses on the walls of the housing will be either directly into sump It or will be intercepted by a gutter 32 which extends along three sides of sump i and empties into sump l0.

Journaled in pillow blocks 30 and Ii, which.

are supported by the side walls of housing It. is

a shaft ii on which is fixedly mounted a continu-- ous conveyor in the form of a rotor 22. This comprises, preferably, four pairs of radially extending arms 23; and between the, ends of each pair is connected a bar 2lthere being four such bars spaced in quadrature in the structure illustrated.

Suspended from each bar It is a basket-like receptacle ltd-25d having each a pair of bails 26, one at each end, provided with hooks 21 at their respective upper extremities by means of which the receptacles are detachably connected to their supporting bars. The receptacles 25 preferably are perforated both at. the bottom and sides and conveniently may be made of expanded metal. They are adapted to receive and hold parts to be degreased and the perforations enable the liquid solvent condensate to drain off.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 4, there is connected to one end of shaft 2| aspur gear I! which is arranged to be driven by an electric motor it through the medium of suitable speed reduction gearing 35. Attached to the outer face of gear 33 are four cam members 36 arranged in quadrature about the axis of rotation of shaft II. These cams are adapted to actuate, consecutively. a limit switch 31 which is provided with a cam roller 38 for engaging the cams. The function of limit switch 31 will be explained in conjunction with the circuit diagram, Fig. 5.

In operation, the rotor 22 is rotated through consecutive steps of 90 degrees each and is stopped as each receptacle arrives at a convenient position for removal from the rotor through opening I i. As depicted in Fig. 3, receptacle "a has arrived at that position. The rotor moves counterclockwise, as viewed in Fig. 3; and as will be seen from an examination of that Mum, receptacle 25b is about to enter the zone occupied by the vaporous body of degreasing solventwhich is to say, the zone below the upper level II of the vapor body. At the same time, receptacle "c has just emerged from the vapor while receptacle 25d has been elevated substantially above the vapor level. In this position the motor remains at rest for a predetermined period of time ranging from say fifteen seconds to as much as three minutes-depending largely upon the nature of the parts being degreased. This not only allows time for removal and replacement of the' receptacle at the opening il--whioh usually can be accomplished within the minimum period, irrespective of the nature of the parts being proceased-but what is more important it allows time for the solvent to drain oi! the treated parts after emergence from the vapor zone. During the idle period when receptacle Ila is being withdrawn the latter will be ready for removal following the next 90 degree rotation of the rotor. Thus, each receptacle, in turn, is allowed to drain for a suitable period of time, the duration of which is variable by the operator-and during each such period the atendant removes a, receptacle eon taining degreased parts and replaces it with another containing parts to be degreased. The rivpinss from the parts-carryingreceptacles fall di rs-directly into sump it a; plate II which overlies "sump it and thus prevents contaminated solvent entering the latter sump. Referring to Fig. 5, which is a circuit diagram of the: control system. current for operating motor. 84 is supplied by incoming lines Li, In. Operation is initiated by depressing a start button 80 which closes acircuit from line Ll through conductors 40 and Ii, solenoid winding 42 and conductor 13 to line In. The resultant energization of coil 42 causes actuation of a contactor N which has three simultaneously movable blades l5, l6 and 41. Fixed contacts ll and l! are bridged by blade 45 while fixed contacts ll and II are bridged by blade 0. Thus, a circuit is completed from lines Ll, In to motor 84 via conductors Ill and II. Provision must be made for continuing the energization of coil 4! in order to keep contactor 94 closed and motor 84 running after pushbutton 39 is released. This is accomplished by means of an automatic timing device 54 known as a "Timoilex." The latter is a well known commercially available device and need not be described in detail.

Four terminals are shown on Timofiex" ll and marked 55 to 88 inclusive. Limitswitch 81 has two sets of contacts 89,." and ii, 02 respectively. The first of these are closed, as shown in Fig. 5, when cam roller 38 is not engaged by one of the four cams 36 whereas the latter contacts are closed when roller 38 is so engaged. Assuming contacts 59, to be closed, the operation of contactor 44 completes a holdlng circuit for coil 42 from terminal 53 through blade 1, terminal 82, conductor 63, contacts I8, 60, conductor N, terminal 51 and conductor 8' to line L1. The other terminal of coil 42 is permanently connected to line La through conductor 43. Motor 34 will, therefore, continue to run until contacts 59, Bil are broken by virtue of roller 38 being engaged by the next succeeding cam 30. Actuation of the limit switch by a cam it closes contacts BI, 62 and immediateLv thereafter opens contacts l9, 80. Contacts ll, 02 close a circuit from In via conductors 85, '8' and N to terminal 56 which isconnected through the internal mechanism of the "Timoflex" to terminal I which, in turn, is connected via conductor I! to La. This-sets the Timoflex" into operation for the purpose of restarting motor 84 after the lapse of a predetermined period of time-which period can be varied in duration by adjusting the Timoflex Following termination of the predetermined rest period, the Timoflex bridges terminals II and it and thus closes a circuit from Li via conductors t5 and is to terminal II and thence through coil 02 and conductor I! to In. This causes reactuation of contactor ll and is effective to restart motor a,

which will continue to run until solenoid coil 4! l is again de-energized by the breaking of contacts II, I as a result of the next can It engaging roller ll and actuating the limit switch. Once started, the cycle of operation is continuous and is interrupted only by opening a switch in line 'andreplaced. receptacle "disdrsiningpandulmlsoratsomeotberconvenientpcint' I Having described my invention, what I claim as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A degreaser comprising a chamber, means for maintaining in said chamber a vaporous body of degreasing solvent having a vapor density greater than unity, a continuous conveyor extending into said chamber and driven from a shafts plurality of receptacles carried in said conveyor in linearly spaced relation, a motor drivingly connected to said shaft, a power supply, a circuit containing a timer and holding switches connecting the power supply to the motor for automatically startin the motor after the flow of current through the circuit has been broken and after a selected lapse of time, a normally closed disabling switch in said circuit, an arm on said switch positioned in spaced relationship with the shaft and operable to open the switch, and cam elements equal in number to the receptacles on the conveyor and spaced from each other proportionately to the spacing of the receptacles from each other and mounted on the shaft so as to be successively engageable with the switch arm for opening the circuit thereby stopping the motor and actuating the timer for re-closing the circuit after a lapse of time.

2.-A degreaser comprising a sump having a depth such that degreasing liquid may be vaporiaed in the bottom thereof and a vapor zone created thereabove having a substantial depth with the top of the vapor zone substantially below the top edges of the sump, a rotatable shaft supported on two opposite top edges of the sump and over the sump, a plurality of radiating arms equally spaced on said shaft, a basket for work to be degreased on each arm, a motor and drive elements for rotating the shaft, a power supply, a circuit containing a timer connecting the power supply to the motor for automatically starting the motor after the ilow of current through the circuit has been broken and after a selected lapse of time, a normally closed disabling switch in said circuit, an arm on said switch positioned in spaced relationship with the axis of the shaft and operable to open the switch and start the timer, and cam elements equal in number tothe radiating arms on the shaft and equally spaced about on the shaft and engageable successively with the switch arm for opening the circuit thereby stopping the motor and actuating the timer for reclosing the circuit and starting the motor after a lapse of time.

3. A-degreaser comprising a sump having a asaaris depth such that degreasing liquid may be vaporized in the bottom thereof and a vapor zone created thereabove having a substantial depth with the top of the vapor zone substantially below the top edges of the sump, a rotatable shaft supported on two opposite top edges of the sump and over the sump, a plurality of radiating arms equally spaced on said shaft, a basket for work to be degreased on each arm, a drive gear on said shaft, an electric motor drivingly connected to said gear,'a power supply, a circuit containing a timer connecting the power supply to the motor for automatically starting the motor after the flow of current through the circuit has been broken and after a selected lapse of time, a normally closed disabling switch in said circuit, an arm on said switch positioned adjacent the periphery of the gear on the shaft and operable to open the switch and thereby start the timer, and cam elements equal in number to the radiating arms on the shaft and equally spaced about the periphery of the gear so as to be successively engageable with the switch arm for opening the circuit thereby stopping the motor and actuating the timer for reclosing the circuit and starting the motor after a lapse of time.

4. The degreaser of claim 1 together with a cover removably mounted on the top edges of the sump for enclosing those receptacles at a level above the top edges of the sump and preventing vapors carried above the edges of the sump by the receptacles from flowing over the top edges of the sump.

JOHN M. BASH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Cosway Feb. 25, 1947 

